Weekly Franciscan reflections
Start every week here, with a Franciscan reflection on what the Gospel, St. Francis, and biblical stories offer to us that we can bring forward into our daily life.
Reflection for week of September 14th, 2025
Jesus’ command to forgive – the Lord’s Prayer
Forgiveness is not easy. The hurts we experience at the hands of others are real, and often very painful. We cannot simply shrug our shoulders and forgive those who have hurt us.
Nevertheless, Jesus commanded us to forgive our brothers and sisters — it is in the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus goes on to say, “if you forgive the faults of others, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you.”
When we carry unforgiveness in our hearts, our humanity gets in the way of the supernatural grace needed to offer forgiveness “from the heart.” But we need to take Jesus at His word. If we are unforgiving with others, the Father will be unforgiving with us.
Our sins are infinite offenses against God. The death of Jesus is the infinite atonement needed for our forgiveness.
Today, September 14, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the means of our salvation. This week, let us reflect on Jesus’ message that we must also pick up our cross daily. Part of doing that is to forgive, with His grace, those who have harmed us. Is it easy? No. Is it possible? Yes.
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